This is my kitchen – I think it is the kitchen of the future – I cook almost everything with the Thermomix – I have no built in cooktop! Above where the TM31 is sitting is my pull out range hood. I have an induction plug in cooktop if I need to use it saving so much space in my kitchen 🙂
This is a question we get asked a lot being a Thermomix consultant – “Can I still make my own favourite recipes using the Thermomix?” The answer is YES!!
The easiest way to convert a recipe is to find a similar recipe in the Thermomix book that came with your Thermomix & use that as a guide putting in your own ingredients. This is made even easier with the guided cooking function on the Thermomix Model 5 or TM6.
There is a lot of useful information about converting recipes in the first few pages of your “The Basic Cookbook” that came with your Thermomix Model 5 or TM6.
Doubling or halving a recipe: Adjust time by 20% more or less. (You must remember never to go above the max line in the bowl or the simmering basket & I would not recommend doing a double batch of jam or chutney in case it bubbles over.)
Chopping onion or vegetables & herbs: What size to start with – the golden rule “If it can fit in the hole in can go in the bowl” Don’t try putting a whole pumpkin in please? Roughly chop pieces so they are about the size of the MC (measuring cup) before putting them into the bowl. What texture do you want? Speed 4 – 5 you are still in control & can have the texture of “roughly chopped” speed 7-10 is pureed this doesn’t matter for a soup that will be pulverised or a curry paste. Just chop for a couple of secs to start with, you can always chop it again if you need to. Listen to the sounds your Thermomix makes you can tell when something has finished chopping.
If it can fit in the hole it can go in the bowl!
Roughly chopped on speed 5 for 2 secs
finely chopped speed 7 for 2 secs
Always scrape down the sides of the bowl before sautéing
Milling spices
Chopped cheddar on speed 4 & parmesan on speed 10
Chopping cheese: roughly chop into cubes- is it a hard cheese like a parmesan? It will need to go up to speed 10. Softer cheese can go to speed 5 otherwise you will have a puree’. Listen to the Thermomix but it will take about 5 secs for each of these cheeses.
Milling: Milling grains or or spices takes about 1 min on speed 10. It is best to have a min of 100g if you are trying to do a small amount at a time like 1 tsp you won’t have great results. If you are wanting to get a small amount into a cake mixture mill the whole spices with either some of the sugar or flour from the recipe & this will help to incorporate it.
Saute’: Always use 100 degrees or varoma temperature to produce enough heat to saute’ & you will need a min of 3 mins on a slow speed soft or speed 1 with reverse to saute’. To enhance flavours & if you have time saute’ for 5 – 10 mins. (an excellent tip we learnt from Nico Moretti) You may like to let some moisture out while cooking, to do this place the simmer basket on top of the lid instead of the MC.
*Cooking casseroles always have the blades in reverse on soft speed as too not break up the food too much. Also don’t chop your meat or chicken into too small a pieces, they can break up by being constantly stirred. (2 – 3cm size pieces are a good min). If you like to buy low fat mince some of the brands have been minced super fine so when they are stirred on reverse it can create a strange grainy texture. To avoid this after you have browned the meat transfer it into the simmering basket so it stays in the sauce but away from the blades.
Steaming: You always need a min of 500g water in the TM bowl & you always need to use the varoma temperature to produce enough heat for steaming. If you are in a rush you can use boiling water from the kettle. I also put the things that need more cooking like proteins or hard vegetables in the varoma dish & then veggies that need less cooking on the varoma tray. For recipes like the whole steamed chicken you do need to have 1 litre of water because you will be steaming for over 1 hour.
Mixing: cake or muffin batter 5 secs on speed 4 scrape down then do another time, you don’t want the speed to high or to do it for too long otherwise you risk your cake or muffins being tough or rubbery.
Look at the recipe you want to make & work out the best order to do things without having to wash the bowl between steps, so normally start with the dry ingredients & progress from there.
There are lots of tips and ideas to be shared about converting recipes to the Thermomix – this is my quick & easy basic guide & I will possibly update with some more ideas soon. The main thing to remember is to have a go – most recipes are actually made easier by using a thermomix, so give it a try & you will be pleasantly surprised.
Now it would be extremely hard for me to choose my favourite meal of the day but I think it could be breakfast. I can eat almost anything for breakfast including soups & left over pizza (or breakfast pizza) or even a champagne breakfast for a special occasion or a very important photoshoot. Hands down the best breakfast I have ever had was Ellie’s crayfish with a smoked Tasmanian cheese sauce, a recipe for her upcoming Seafood Everyday Cookbook that she made for the photoshoot.
The 2nd place would have to be the most amazing buffet breakfast we had in South Africa at Thermofest. There was everything you could ever think of every type of egg, crispy or non crispy bacon, even oysters! (Scroll down through Billy Law’s post to get to the breakfast pictures :-))
I think I ate enough weetbix as a kid to never have to eat weetbix or cereal ever again, sometimes a nice crunchy homemade baked muesli with homemade yoghurt & fruit would be yummy, although I haven’t had that for a few years now!
A much more easier & exciting tasty option is CADA which stands for (fresh) coconut, apple dates & almonds, turbo a couple of times & serve with homemade yoghurt & fresh berries & cinnamon. There are too many more delicious things to eat for breakfast!
Also I love the all day breakfast – that fact that you could eat any breakfast item at any time of the day is very comforting!
Here are my favourite breakfasts that I love to make & eat regularly with the ingredients I have on hand, some are more suited to a weekend brunch.
Protein is ideal at breakfast to keep you full & provide energy for the rest of the day. My favourite breakfast proteins are eggs, smoked salmon or salmon rashers, bacon, chorizo or nuts and seeds.
Quick weekday breakfasts
Smoothies & juices – a quick & easy way to get something healthy into you before you head out the door & I always make enough for a traveller too 🙂
There are so many great recipes for smoothies & juices here are my own favourite recipes
Plus Jo from Quirky Cooking has some great smoothie & juice recipes & so does Teresa Cutter the Healthy Chef. You can just free style it too with your favourite nuts, seeds fruit & or veggies & some ice & liquid. For a great kick of green goodness see my post on making chlorophyll paste too.
Then of course there are the smoothie bowls like Dani Valent Cooking recipe for Matcha Smoothie Bowl.
Porridge is super easy & delicious plus it’s so versatile, I normally used the guided recipe on the chip & use all milk instead of milk & water – the best thing is it cooks & stirs while you are in the shower or getting ready for work/school. I love Ellie’s Apple, cinnamon & honey porridge. Adding any fruit or honey is a winner in my book – growing up we always had it served with milk, brown sugar & wheatgerm.
Steamed eggs or omelettes are amazing!! Another one where once it it ready to steam you can go off & get ready while Thermie cooks your breakfast.
Weekend breakfasts: I most certainly need to include the big breakfast; any of the following – eggs, toast or flatbread, avocado, bacon, salmon or chorizo, tomatoes, grilled homemade halloumi cheese, mushrooms & homemade baked beans. I also love steaming some garden greens to go with a hot breakfast – I grow silver beet & sometimes I will use spinach too.
The Thermomix poached eggs from the recipe chip are great especially if they are served with Thermomix made hollandaise – which can I just say is absolutely AMAZING!! I use the recipe on the recipe chip, it is so good with anything, I mainly serve it with eggs & salmon 🙂 Plus it is mazing with crayfish too!
I LOVE slow cooked eggs – it’s sounds crazy but it is amazing 60 degree eggs have the best texture ever they are cooked in their shell & then you crack them open to reveal perfectness!!
I just LOVE baked eggs too & this recipe from Jo Whitton for Huevos Rancheros is suitable to finish in the pan or oven & it’s so amazing!! I added Chorizo to this one & sometimes I add bacon to it.
Oh my goodness this post could go on forever, with other amazing breakfast you can make with the Thermomix- waffles,pancakes, crepes, bagels, croissants, crumpets (I use the In the Mix cookbook recipe), danish pastries. That’s without mentioning all the delicious breads you can make too!
It is my mission to keep updating this post with all the best breakfast options available for the best meal of the day! I will definitely be posting pics of the steamed breakfast baskets from the In the Mix Cookbook another favourite of mine too. So many breakfasts to eat & not enough time even with all day breakfasts!!
Happy Thermomixing!
Japanese Style Breakfast – steamed sushi rice with steamed omelette
Yes Ellie & I did it again – another sunrise breakfast at the Tessellated Pavement, but more on that later.
What do you say when your chef friend asks you to come & cook, wash up & taste the food for her 2 day photo shoot for her Seafood Everyday Cookbook – YES PLEASE! (And as a bonus I actually got paid to do it too!! I told Ellie I would have done it for free because it was so much fun, not to mention absolutely delicious!)
Day 1: Sunday 1st May – Job 1 purchase some ingredients on the way down to Ellie’s place at Eaglehawk Neck. When I woke up bright & early there was the most amazing sunrise & then as I started to drive into the city I heard thunder, saw lightning & then it bucketed down with rain! I was hoping the light would still be ok for Ellie’s photos today. I had nothing to fear as when I arrived at Ellie’s at about 9.30am she had already started some of the prep – her dining table was covered with lots of crockery, cloths & cutlery. She had a table by the window set up with backgrounds reflectors & her camera on the tripod. She had already cooked a crayfish for a couple of the recipes later on in the day. I was asked to make & prep some of the recipes so Elli’e could just finish them off before taking her photos for the book & then I got to taste them all!! I was so busy trying to cook, eat & wash up (she doesn’t have a dishwasher) that I didn’t get a chance to take many of my own photos – I did get some quick shots on my iPhone before I consumed them, so I could use them on our designated instagram breaks throughout the day, to make all my friends super jealous!!
Octopus salad
Risotto Balls
Surprise Potato Bake
Fresh Bread
Thermomix Hollandaise Sauce
1 of the many oyster recipes
Crayfish with Hollandaise Sauce
Fresh pasta for 4 different recipes
On the first day we completed 19 recipes – which included about 6 different styles of oysters YUM! I was in my element because I could use Ellie’s 2 Thermomix for certain elements of the recipes too. I learnt so many tips and ideas form Ellie over the 2 days. You won’t believe the first dish I had to prep was risotto (or otherwise know as “Hot Wet Rice” & yes we showed the Katering show video of the two Kate’s making risotto to Ellie’s hubby at the end of day 2 & we all had a good laugh).
I used the Thermomix for fresh pasta dough & left it to rest, Ellie had already made the bread dough in the Thermie before I arrived & then I learnt how to shape it for a cob loaf & 2 baguettes – we let it proof again & then baked in the oven. It’ s a bit of a blur but I will try to remember everything the best I can – octopus salad with peas & feta was amazing! I also had another salad with fish, risotto & feta balls with octopus, salmon & bacon pancakes – so good!! I made Ellie’s awesome potato & sweet potato surprise bake. (I’m drooling in my mouth as i remember tasting all these amazing dishes). A cauliflower puree was another element for one of the dishes that was easy to make in the Thermomix, as well as onion jam & beetroot relish – Ellie wanted a grated texture for the beetroot relish & took great delight in the fact I had to use a grater to hand grate the beetroot by hand instead of using the Thermomix. I also made pastry in the Thermomix too.
Dish of the day was hard to choose but I have to say the crayfish topped with Thermomix hollandaise was so special, plus it looked amazing too!
Guess what we had for dinner that night? Yes leftovers!! I couldn’t believe I could fit anything in!! After dinner we looked at the days photos & they looked amazing they even made me hungry looking at them!! I rolled out the pasta dough & cooked it ready for 4 different pasta dishes we would shoot tomorrow. I also made the steamed Dill & Feta Omelette with Smoked Salmon recipe we were taking to the Tessellated Pavement in the morning for Ellie to get the cover photo for her cookbook. We had learnt a lot form our previous breakfast at the Tessellated Pavement, to take a little with us as possible. So we packed 1 picnic basket of things & worked out how we were going to style it. We had an early night so we would be fresh in the morning for our big photo shoot.
Day 2: Monday 2nd May, after I woke up multiple times in the early morning it was time to officially wake up at 5.45am. We had a quick cuppa & grabbed our food, Tasmanian sparkling wine & picnic basket of props to arrive at the Tessellated Pavement about 6.30, after setting up in one spot we moved to another spot so we could get more of the pavement into the shot. We got so many amazing photos, Ellie was quick to post a picture to instagram of our sunrise breakfast picnic hoping she could get over 100 likes. Check out Ellie’s Instagram account to have a look. We had the whole place to ourselves & after a few adjustments we had it just right to shoot away for about 1/2 an hour or so. It was so exciting, relaxing & peaceful. I could not wipe the smile off my face.
After packing up, I had to drink the wine in the glasses, because we couldn’t waste such good quality Tasmanian sparkling wine & Ellie couldn’t drink because she had to have her A game on for the rest of the days big photo shoot. Anyway just as I was downing the last of the wine in the glass a lady & her dog walked past, she smiled asking if we were celebrating?! After all it was only just after 7am on a Monday morning!! Too funny!
A very quick look at the mornings photos on the computer & Ellie confirmed she had got her cover photo – It looks amazing!!
Anyway back to work, first things first, more breakfast!! We hadn’t eaten the omelette we took to the morning shoot & had brought it back home with us so take some more photos with the most amazing breakfast you will ever have – Salmon rashers with French toast & maple syrup, so amazing!!
After breakfast was photographed & then eaten it was time to get onto the 13 more recipes for the day including all the mussel recipes. We also had Ellie’s 2 youngest children helping us today so I added child entertainer to my list of jobs, it was so much fun & we all wore our special aprons too! Yes I had the job of making sure the bottle of sparkling wine didn’t get wasted & so I had a matching wine to my seafood tasting today until just after lunchtime 🙂 I got to make a spicy seafood laksa & we made another crayfish recipe too, oh & some yummy squid pasta, just to mention a few of the days recipes.
The cooking, eating, washing up & photos continued for the rest of the day & we finished about 4pm. We had multiple instagram checking breaks as we saw Ellie’s likes for her photo sky rocket through the day. Then we all went for a walk to the beach which was just what we needed after 2 epic days.
I stayed for dinner to help Ellie & her family eat some of the days delicious leftovers – we had another mini leftover degustation for dinner as the fridge was very full!! I don’t think I will ever need to eat again – well maybe not till breakfast anyway!
Oh wow, I thought I was in heaven, having a 2 day seafood degustation with a total of 34 dishes, I feel so grateful to have been given this amazing experience. I loved hearing stories Ellie shared with me about her restaurant days where she was the chef & owner at the Mussel Boys in Tarana, quite a few of the recipes from her restaurant are in the cookbook too. Also Ellie’s Instagram photo from the morning was shared by “Australia” on Instagram on got over 46,000 likes!!
Even if I had not had this awesome experience I would still be rushing out to buy this cookbook the recipes are amazing & the photos look sensational – much better than these ones I took on my iPhone 🙂 The Seafood Everyday Cookbook will hopefully be available to purchase in Dec 2016. Congrats Ellie on an outstandingly awesome job! I love your work! (I think I am still in a food coma)
Making lasagne completely from scratch is so easy with a Thermomix, I even had a customer who was “allowed” to buy a thermomix if she promised to make her hubby lasagne once a week 🙂 I must say it is a family favourite comfort food recipe that’s for sure an awesome way of earning brownie points with the rest of the family to to serve homemade lasagne.
Today I needed to make a double batch of Lasagne one for our family & one for my friend who has a new baby. Fresh pasta dough is so easy, you can use the guided recipe. Then I chopped cheddar cheese on speed 5 for about 5 secs & parmesan cheese on speed 10 for 5 secs.
Making white sauce is super easy another great guided recipe on the Thermomix recipe chip.
Then adding the cheese & mixing it in YUM!!
Rolled out fresh pasta using a pasta machine.
After cooking the pasta in boiling water for a couple of mins it’s time to build the lasagne. A layer of pasta.
Then the bolognese sauce another guided recipe, for great bolognese sauce be careful if you use low fat mince it is ground up super fine & even being stirred constantly on low speed & reverse it will give your sauce a grainy texture. You can either make your own mince meat or don’t chop it up so much or put the mince in the simmering basket as you do the cooking it will still be in the sauce but away from the blades. I love using at least 2 cloves of garlic & onion, fresh basil, oregano & parsley, bacon or half pork & half beef mince, a splash of red wine & if I have them cherry tomatoes add a bit of sweetness, not to mention all the veggies I throw into the Thermomix, celery, carrot, mushrooms, red capsicum & zucchini And some tomato paste & Thermomix Veggie stock paste to boost the flavour even more.
I like to put a pasta layer on the bolognese layer & then the cheese sauce. repeating this process twice.
It’s messy fun!! Then sprinkle more cheese on top & bake till crispy on top about 30 mins at 180 degrees.
Then ask your son to take it our of the oven & serve 🙂
Have you made it yet? It is so easy & perfect if you have some Dried coconut & not coconut milk or cream & can’t be bothered going to the shop to buy some for a recipe. I very rarely buy it myself now & just make the coconut milk as I need it just before I start the recipe. You can also freeze any leftovers if you are not intending on using it soon. I first tried the recipe from the Thermomix Fast & Easy Indian Cooking book about 4 years ago. Now I use Jo Whitton’s recipe from her Quirky Cooking cookbook available here & please feel free to watch her video too. You will need a nut bag (yes if this is the first time you have heard of a nut bag you are permitted to laugh – like I did the first time I heard about them) You could use fine muslin but for around $10 – $20 investment you will get a lot of use out of it. You can purchase them online or at most health food shops.
As always it is best to start with the best quality ingredients you can afford so I start with organic shredded coconut 300g.
Mill for 20 secs on speed 9
Next add 800g water & chop for 1 min on speed 9. Strain using a nut bag. And I usually start the straining like this with my nut bag over the simmering basket to let the first lot of milk through & then I love to pick up the nut bag & squeeze the milk through – I imagine it’s sort of like milking a cow?!
Yes I made coconut milk!! And I know what’s in it too – I hope this post has inspired you to give it ago too!
If you want to make this into coconut cream you then add melted coconut oil slowly to emulsify into the warmed coconut milk as per Jo’s recipe.
My friends from A girl, a guy, furkids and food have the best butter recipe or check out Dani Valent’s video on making butter here along with some great flavoured butter ideas. Of course if you have the model 5 Thermomix you can use the guided recipe which is super easy too!
So why would you make your own butter? It tastes so good!! You can save money & you also get buttermilk to cook with as well!
I love to use Ashgrove Cream. There are lots of places around Tassie where you can buy it in 2 litre bottles. Always use the best quality you can get, pure cream & not low fat cream.
Yes you start with cream, I normally do a litre at a time but you don’t have to do that is you are just starting out & you can always make another batch straight after making the first batch.
You insert the butterfly whisk & take it up to speed 4 (which of course you are not allowed to go higher than speed 4 with the butterfly in) & you will have whipped cream in about 20 secs depending on how fresh your cream is.
Whip it for a bit longer & then you have butter!!
And buttermilk!! remove the butterfly whisk & set aside.
Insert the basket
Time to strain off the buttermilk. Set it aside for some yummy baking. Cover the strained butter with cold water & rinse a few times – saving the first lot of rinsing water to put into soups. It is your choice how many time you rinse. It has been said the more you rinse it the longer it will keep.
My friend’s hubby makes these awesome butter paddles or you can use your clean cold hands to remove all the last of the rinsing water.
Then it’s time to put the butterfly whisk back in & add salt, I love salt but it also helps to preserve the butter. you can also add a non flavoured oil about 100g at this point if you want to have spreadable butter. Whip it up! it gives you that texture of buttercream icing mmmm.
After scraping out the bowl you may need to do what i call the “blade fling” put the bowl back into the Thermomix & if you have the butterfly on only go to speed 4 for about 1 sec.
And now the rest of the mix has been flung to the sides of the bowl making it easier to scrape out. Extra Tip – time to “flavour save” don’t wash the bowl & you can make something that has butter in the recipe straight away- a cake or a soup – this means you don’t waste a drop of butter & less washing up!
Then I like to store my butter in this butter dish my Mum gave me – how cool is that?
What is the best thing to do with your homemade butter? Spread it on something delicious some freshly made bread or crumpets – you can also freeze some of it to use later.
Recent Comments